It is really difficult picking out my top two favorites from Down the Shore because we dined on so many wonderful foods.

The crumb cake from Colonial Bakery that we shared in the van was one of the best I ever had. There was more crumb than cake, and the crumbs were filled with cinnamon. It was moist, buttery and fresh.

At Fat Cat's Cafe, my favorite sandwich was the Fresh Yellowfish Tuna Salad on calamata olive bread. The taste was surprising but pleasant.

Those mini corn muffins at Gecko's were a real treat. They were extremely fresh and were a little salty and a little sweet. I'm not usually a dessert person, but I went "mmm" with every bite of the rich, rich, rich and creamy dark chocolate decadence cake. That alone was worth a drive to the shore.

Everything at the Oyster Creek Inn was ultra-fresh and prepared perfectly. I liked the jumbo lump crab meat cocktail for its unadorned simplicity. Cocktail sauce and lemon were served on the side. I just can't find fresh crab meat like that in a supermarket.

The Inlet Cafe was another winner. We sat at the best table at the corner of the deck and enjoyed the shore breezes. The view of Sandy Hook and New York City added to the dining experience. We ordered many appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and I was not disappointed with any of them. Each dish had unique flavorings, and the presentations were elaborate.
The lobster escargot had a bisque-type sauce that was so flavorful that I would have finished every drop if I hadn't already tasted zillions of items. I loved the chocolate volcano with the dense moist dark chocolate cake, hot fudge filling, and ice cream and whipped cream toppings.

So, my two favorite dishes are based upon which items would be most likely to make me plan a trip to the shore. They are the jumbo crab meat cocktail at the Oyster Creek Inn and the Lobster Escargot at The Inlet Cafe. My favorite restaurant would be The Inlet Cafe for its variety of artistically presented dishes that tasted as good as they looked.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to spend such a wonderful day at the shore.